Courtesy Call by Prof. Steven Schiff - Yale University

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The meeting focused on exploring collaboration opportunities between the University of Nairobi
and Israeli institutions, particularly Hebrew University, in science, technology, innovation, and
healthcare, including AI and digital health solutions. Discussions emphasized the importance of
balanced staff and student exchanges, community engagement, and addressing challenges in
technology commercialization and sustainable partnerships. Participants highlighted existing
successful models and expressed commitment to fostering joint programs, leveraging expertise
in agriculture, engineering, and public health to benefit both regions.


Key Topics Discussed


 Collaboration Opportunities between University of Nairobi and Israeli Institutions

  1. Strong interest in fostering partnerships between University of Nairobi and Israeli universities, particularly the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
  2. Hebrew University demonstrates a long-standing strategic interest in African collaborations, including programs in public health, malaria research, and training African students.
  3. Current limited but growing Israeli engagement with African countries, mostly in Ethiopia and Morocco; desire to expand to Kenya and Uganda.
  4. Possibility of formal partnership agreements to explore common interests and collaborative opportunities in science, technology, innovation, and healthcare.


 Research, Innovation, and Technology Transfer

  1.  University of Nairobi actively pursuing internationalization and local community engagement.
  2. Challenges identified in technology commercialization—research output in health sciences remains mostly academic, with limited commercialization or patenting.
  3. Need to balance training between student and staff exchanges to avoid brain-drain and foster sustainable collaboration.
  4. Intellectual Property office keen to learn from Israeli expertise in successful technology transfers and commercialization.


 Health Technology Innovations

  1. Professor Schiff shared significant achievements: a. Development of an African version of an MRI machine, constructed with local African engineers. b. Use of artificial intelligence (AI) for diagnostic imaging to assist locations lacking radiologists. c. Creation of AI models for disease surveying and epidemic control.
  2. Opportunities exist to combine engineering, computer science, and health sciences for innovative solutions, especially using AI and machine learning technologies.
  3. Possibility of leveraging expertise from Hebrew University and University of Nairobi to co-develop predictive diagnostics and digital health tools.


Government and Institutional Partnerships

  1. Israeli Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation interested in expanding cooperative agreements in Africa.
  2. Ugandan Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation actively involved; their minister sits in the office of the president.
  3. Proposal to initiate or strengthen government-level dialogues, but University of Nairobi preferred as a sustainable and structural anchor for ongoing projects and centers of excellence.
  4. Challenges exist with political changes at ministry levels affecting program continuity; universities provide more sustainability.


Centers of Excellence and Capacity Building

  1. Potential to establish a Center of Excellence at University of Nairobi, serving multiple stakeholders beyond university community.
  2. Success stories shared from past collaborations with other international universities.
  3. Need to identify university faculties that are progressive and open to engage in these partnerships, notably Agriculture, Science and Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences.
  4. Training leadership and decision-makers, including diplomats and public officials, using programs like those at Yale and Hebrew University to improve negotiation, policy, and leadership skills. An African king’s success story was cited.


 Challenges and Considerations

  1. Brain-drain concerns: Many African students trained abroad do not return to their home countries.
  2. Need for balanced exchange programs and incentives for retaining talent locally.
  3. University culture favors publication over commercialization; relevant offices to support bridging this gap.
  4. Political and bureaucratic challenges in working with government bodies.
  5. Funding constraints for international training programs due to reductions in government support. 

Next Steps & Recommendations

  • Initiate formal communication and engagement with Hebrew University and other potential Israeli partners to explore mutual interests and opportunities.
  • Map out faculty interests and potential areas of collaboration at University of Nairobi to align with Israeli strengths, particularly in agriculture, engineering, health sciences, and AI.
  • Explore staff exchange programs alongside student programs to balance capacity-building and reduce brain drain risks.
  • Consider organizing joint workshops and meetings, including potential involvement of ministry officials, to foster dialogue about centers of excellence and collaborative research projects.
  • Leverage intellectual property management expertise to learn from Israeli models on commercialization and technology transfer.
  • Encourage pilot projects on AI and digital health innovations that have scalable impact in Kenya and the broader African continent.
  • Explore participation in international leadership and public policy training programs for decision-makers from Kenya.
  • Maintain continuous engagement with government offices for support and policy alignment while emphasizing sustainable university-level collaboration to ensure longevity.

Overall Meeting Outcome
The meeting highlighted a promising foundation for strategic collaboration between University of
Nairobi and Israeli academic and governmental institutions across science, technology,
innovation, and health sectors. Participants emphasized the importance of sustainable
partnerships, balancing training exchanges, leveraging AI and health technologies, and
strengthening innovation ecosystems through technology transfer and commercialization. There
was mutual enthusiasm to pursue next steps, opening doors for capacity building, research
partnerships, and policy-level cooperation.